UFC Fight Night 118
Vegasinsider.com
UFC Fight Night 118 takes place out of Ergo Arena in Gdarísk, Poland on Saturday, October 21st 2017. Check out the sportsbook at BetOnline.ag to ensure you get your bets in before the fights go off. Better yet, get them in now.
Donald Cerrone (-153) over Darren Till (+133)
Everything about Cerrone’s career has been awesome but he’s been hard to bank on lately. Cowboy is coming off of two straight losses to Jorge Masvidal and Robbie Lawler that have dropped him to the back of line in the welterweight division. Now, he’s also having to deal with the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, who shifted weight classes just like Cerrone did over a year ago.
And now Cerrone is facing a potential make-or-break fight at this juncture in his career. At 34 years of age, there are many that believe that Cerrone is one the way down and won’t ever sniff the championship belt that has eluded him his entire career.
That’s one of the knocks that White holds against Cerrone – he never gets it done when the stakes are high. Cerrone lost three WEC title matches, and was pounded by dos Anjos when the two met for the UFC Lightweight Championship right around Christmas in 2015.
So for him to regain his status, Cerrone will have to contend with the rising star of Darren Till, an undefeated fighter out of Liverpool, England. Till is 15-0-1 having earned a majority draw against Nicolas Dalby one year ago in a Fight of the Night earner. Talent abounds in this 24 year-old pup, who has lanky range and an incredible stand-up game that’s deserving of a main event fight.
The stakes are simple in this one: Till can afford the loss, while Cerrone is on the ropes and one defeat away from becoming the division’s gate keeper. You know what that means – up and coming fighters will go at Cerrone to see if they deserve to be in the discussion. It’s not a great place to be, though it can be profitable. Keith Jardine made a career out of it.
One of the problems with betting on Till at this stage of his career is that we don’t know how good he is at this level. Cerrone is still a beast despite his two recent defeats, and has the experience to go to so many different wells. Even at the listed fight odds on BetOnline.ag, you're still getting strong value for both. Till is the up and coming prospect, but the fact that he’s gone to decision in three straight fights might be a sign that his striking game lacks the efficacy it profoundly displayed in his earlier career at the lower tiers.
For now, ride that Cowboy and hope that he still has a few more rodeos in him.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz (-450) over Jodie Esquibel (+350)
As the odds can tell, this one is pretty much a wrap. Bet Esquibel if you think an upset is in the cards, but Kowalkiewicz remains one of the absolute best fighters in the world and won’t be upended in this one.
Jan Blackowicz (+140) over Devein Clark (-160)
By every stretch of the imagination, Clark is the fighter to back in this one. So why take Blackowicz? Well look at the guys he’s lost to recently: Cummins, Gustafsson, Corey Anderson and Jimi Manuwa. Those are all top-10 fighters in the light heavyweight division. Clark hasn’t battled anyone at that level and is still trying to figure out his place in the UFC after floating between weight divisions. At 8-1 SU he’s a terrific prospect, but Blackowcz is the veteran worth seizing here.
Oskar Piechota (-200) over Jonathan Wilson (+170)
Jonathan Wilson’s entry in to the UFC hasn’t gone well, and this disparate odds tell the whole story. Wilson has been rocked in both of his fights, losing his last two by TKO and unanimous decision. Piechota is a relative unknown to most mainstream fans, but the odds can do the talking for him here.